Denver Mayor Admits City Is Regulating Marijuana Effectively

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced Thursday that the city is effectively regulating the legal marijuana industry. In 2012, Hancock had campaigned against the legalization of recreational cannabis in Colorado.

After city officials released an annual report on the city’s marijuana industry, Hancock said in a press release that legalization has been successful in Denver.

“This new report demonstrates Denver’s coordinated approach between multiple agencies to manage marijuana is working,” said Hancock. “We took on the daunting challenge of becoming the first major city in America to manage legalized recreational marijuana and we are having success.”

The mayor credited coordination between Denver’s Excise and Licenses, Denver’s Fire Department, Police Department, Department of Public Health and Environment, Community Planning and Development, partners in other city agencies, the marijuana industry community, and public health advocates for the success.

Sales and Tax Revenue Up, Crime Down

The city’s 2018 Annual Marijuana Report for the period of January 2017 to January 2018 shows an increase in both cannabis sales and tax revenue generated by the industry. Retail sales of recreational pot grew 29 percent from 2016, while sales of medical marijuana dipped 3 percent.

The number of cannabis industry business licenses in Denver now stands at